What is Dialogue?

Dialogue is a special kind of discourse that enables people with different perspectives and worldviews to work together to:

Dispel mistrust and create a climate of good faith

Break through negative stereotypes

Shift the focus from transactions to relationships, creating community

Make participants more sympathetic to one another even when they disagree

Prepare the ground for negotiation or decision making on emotion-laden issues

Expand the number of people committed to decisions on challenging issues

To explain dialogue we contrast it with debate, a more common form of discourse. Both are essential in decision-making, but they have different purposes. Debate is about winning; dialogue is about learning.